


from now on

by peterparkr



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Not Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-04
Updated: 2020-01-04
Packaged: 2021-02-27 14:15:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22118503
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peterparkr/pseuds/peterparkr
Summary: Peter’s fixating on the tie.It’s red.Hot rod red, Tony said. It doesn’t look right. Maybe it’s too long. Tony said it looked fine in the store.It doesn’t look like it had that day anymore. Peter can’t stop fiddling with it.ORPeter's sure that Tony and Pepper's wedding will change everything
Relationships: Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Comments: 53
Kudos: 489
Collections: Irondad Fic Exchange 2019





	from now on

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ShoyzzArt](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShoyzzArt/gifts).



> Written for shoyzzart for Irondad Fic Exchange! I really hope that you will like it :)

Despite May’s constant warnings that crime rates spike in the summer, most of Peter’s patrols since school ended have been quiet. He spends them laying on rooftops, rambling to Karen about anything and everything. She’s a great listener. Ned has some competition in the ‘best friend’ category, not that Peter would ever voice that thought aloud. It’s bad enough that his aunt is definitely in his top three friends, he doesn’t need to admit that a disembodied voice is creeping its way onto the list as well.

“And, Ned gets back from his vacation on August 2nd, so we’ll finally get to hang out—”

“I believe that your schedule is already full on the 2nd, Peter.”

“What?” 

“Your schedule—”

“No, I heard you. Just, what schedule? How do you know—”

A calendar flashes on his HUD. There are blocks for the hours he spends at the tower, a star on the first day of the new school year, ‘CURFEW’ in all caps each night at 11:00 PM. 

Peter scans until he finds August 2nd. The whole day is marked off, labeled ‘Wedding’. There’s only one person who the wedding could be for—unless May has been keeping something pretty important from him.

“Is that Mr. Stark’s wedding? That can’t be right. I’m not—he never invited me. And I’m pretty sure I saw on the news that it’s the 27th.”

“That’s the decoy date, Peter.” There’s an air of fond exasperation in the AI's voice. Peter doesn’t understand how that’s possible. “Mr. Stark has you marked as going, should I alert him to your change of plans?”

“Change of plans,” Peter mutters. “There was no plan.”

“Alerting Mr. Stark now.”

“No!!!”

* * *

“Um—” Peter starts and then immediately clamps his mouth shut.

Tony doesn’t look up from the hologram in front of him, spinning it around and enlarging part of the design. “Yes?”

“Your wedding,” Peter tries again. “Um—”

Tony’s hands stop fidgeting with the display and he looks at Peter over the rim of his glasses. 

“My wedding,” he echoes. “Yes. What about it?”

Peter frowns. It seems rude to outright ask if he’s invited. If he’s not, that puts both of them in an awkward situation. He doesn’t want to make Tony feel bad. But, Karen’s calendar had been pretty clear.

Tony snaps his fingers against his thigh. “Ah, got it. Do you need something to wear? We’ll get you fitted for a nice tux. Maybe Sunday? You free Sunday?”

Peter feels his eyes widen. The surprise quickly shifts into something warm, starting in his chest and working it’s way throughout his whole body. Tony does want him at the wedding. His face breaks into a grin. Tony notices it and shoots him a slightly confused smile back. 

“I’ll take that as a yes for Sunday, then?”

“Oh, er, yeah, Sunday works. If you’re sure. I could always find something to wear myself.”

“Well, then I run the risk of having to see whatever atrocity you decide to pick up—not worth it.”

Tony turns back to his work. He looks happy, really happy. He’s been that way since the day of the engagement, but it’s gotten even more obvious since the summer began. He’s always smiling, sometimes even humming.

“I didn’t know,” Peter blurts, before his brain can stop his mouth. “I didn’t know I was invited.”

Tony stills, the fond smile waning around the edges. “What do you mean? Of course you’re invited.”

Peter scribbles nonsense on his physics summer assignment so that he won’t have to look at Tony. “You never said anything.”

“I didn’t?”

Peter shakes his head.

Tony’s quiet for a few moments and Peter starts to fidget in the semi-uncomfortable silence. He draws a cube next to Newton’s law and a rough outline of an Iron Man mask next to the formula for centripetal acceleration. 

“Well, here’s a secret for you then—to make up for that.” The excited glint is back in Tony’s eyes now. “I’m technically not allowed to tell anyone, so you’re going to have to guess.”

“How am I going to guess? Can I get a clue?”

Tony’s face brightens even more. He mimes picking something up and turning it over, shaking it.

Peter snorts. “Are we playing charades now?”

“Focus up, pretend there’s a plate here.” Tony gestures under where he’s shaking his hand.

Peter decides to bite. “Okay, salt? Or pepper? Ooooh, Pepper!”

Tony nods, abandoning his efforts with the imaginary pepper-shaker, and instead patting his stomach. He curves his hands out around it, forming a bump there, and then cradles his arms like he’s rocking a baby.

Peter’s mouth falls open of its own accord. He covers it with his hands and leaps from his seat, bouncing on his toes a few times.

“A baby? Oh my god, Ms. Potts is pregnant?”

Tony’s grin flashes wide as he nods. “Bingo!”

“Oh my god, Mr. Stark, this is amazing.” Peter can’t help himself, he launches at Tony and wraps his arms around him. After a brief hesitation, he feels Tony’s hands rest on his back.

“Okay, that’s enough,” Tony says, disentangling himself. “You know you only get one of those a year, you should have saved it for Christmas.”

That’s a lie, and they both know it. Tony loves hugs more than he’d ever admit. All Peter has to do is get himself caught in a moderately dangerous situation or win the next decathlon tournament and he’ll get one.

“Do you know if it’s a boy or a girl or—not that it matters—“

“Pep wants to wait to find out,” Tony says. “I hope they’re a girl. I don’t really need a son.”

Tony looks at Peter when he says the last sentence. Peter’s whole body goes rigid as hot embarrassment runs through him, turning the tips of his ears red. He never meant to make Tony feel like he was looking for some sort of father-figure in him. He tries not to let himself think about Tony in that way. Tony’s just his really cool mentor who’s also Iron Man and Peter’s lucky to have that. Maybe, sometimes, when Tony’s helping him with a project, or picking him up at school, or popping by his apartment unannounced with new tech, his imagination runs wild with what could be. He pictures Tony helping May move him into college and combined holidays with their families and so much more. It’s unrealistic, and he knows that, but it hurts to hear Tony confirm it.

Tony doesn’t need a son, especially not Peter.

Tony’s watching Peter’s face, carefully, brows knit in confusion. “I’ll love them no matter what, of course.”

Peter nods. He knows that. Tony will be a great father. He also knows that the baby’s going to change everything.

* * *

Peter’s fixating on the tie.

It’s red.  _ Hot rod red _ , Tony said. It doesn’t look right. Maybe it’s too long. Tony said it looked fine in the store. 

It doesn’t look like it had that day anymore. Peter can’t stop fiddling with it.

“You look lovely,” May says.

Peter flinches at the sound of her voice and May frowns but doesn’t say anything. He’s jumpier these days, and he’s been especially off in the last few weeks. He knows it worries her.

He forces a smile and hopes it looks bright and happy and genuine. “You think?”

She hums and nods. “Very handsome. My little boy, all grown up.”

“You say that every time I wear anything that’s not a graphic tee.”

“Maybe you should ditch the graphic tees then, and it won’t take me by surprise every time.” She kisses the side of his head and leads him out the door of their apartment.

Happy’s waiting with a car. Peter tries to quash down the strangely possessive feeling that creeps into chest. He and May get Tony’s ex-driver, ex-body guard, best friend, to chauffeur them to the event. Nobody else gets that.

He reminds himself that it doesn’t mean anything. It’s just because Happy knows where they live from taking Peter to the compound or the tower so many times. Or because Tony feels guilty about making them pay for their own gas. Or it could have something to do with the way Happy keeps glancing in the rearview mirror at May with a dopey smile on his face. There are a million reasons why Tony would insist that Happy pick them up that have nothing to do with Peter meaning anything to Tony.

* * *

It’s a smaller ceremony than Peter expected. Rhodey’s the best man. Natasha’s the maid of honor. Tony and Pepper are a picture-perfect couple. May cries when they say their vows, which sets Peter off, too.

The reception feels more crowded than the ceremony, even though the same people are in attendance. Everyone seems to be vying for Tony and Pepper’s attention. May leaves Peter with a squeeze on his shoulder to join Happy and some of the other adults. Peter finds a table and sits. He’s not sulking, exactly, but it’s a close thing. His hands keep sneaking up to his tie, as if any amount of adjustment will make him feel better about it.

There’s another boy there, around Peter’s age. Tony seems to know him well. Peter watches them talk. Tony slings one arm around his shoulder and gestures wildly with the other, recounting some exciting adventure. Pepper watches the two of them, grinning. The boy must say something sassy, because Tony cuffs him on the head, holding a serious expression for a moment before they both burst into laughter. The whole scene just adds to Peter’s already bitter mood.

Rhodey walks by and Peter waves to get his attention. He points to the boy. “Who is that?”

Rhodey follows Peter’s finger. “Oh, that’s Harley. Tony met him years ago—the Mandarin thing—you know about that?”

Peter nods, he remembers watching footage on the news. Tony had also recounted the story a few times, but he had never mentioned Harley.

“Tony crashed in Tennessee and the kid helped him out. They’ve been in touch ever since,” Rhodey says. “I bet you two would get along.”

Peter gives Rhodey a tight smile before going back to watching Harley. He thought he’d been some sort of exception—the only kid that Tony had ever taken under his wing. It hurts to find out that he’s not the only one. He hadn’t even been the first.

* * *

Peter hadn’t realized how long receptions can stretch. The table becomes his homebase—it’s in a back corner where he’s left mostly alone, apart from May coming to check up on him, insisting that he dances with her for at least a song. Nat comes by and asks for a dance as well, and Ned would kill him if he passed up the opportunity to dance with the Black Widow, so he agrees. But, he always returns to his table, switching through the same three apps on his phone even though there’s nothing interesting to look at anymore. Finally, he tosses it to the side. He unties and reties his tie a couple of times and then lets his head flop down to the surface of the table.

He knows that Tony is approaching by the cadence of his strides. He prays that the footsteps will continue by his table, but instead they stop and the chair next to him screeches as it slides out.

“Hey, Pete.” Tony knocks lightly on the back of his head. “Anybody home?”

Peter debates whether he can get away with pretending to actually be asleep. He decides against it and sits up. “Hi. Congratulations.”

“Thanks.” Tony’s head is tilted to the side. He looks a little lost. It’s strange. Peter’s used to seeing him confident, a few steps ahead of everyone else. “Why are you all alone over here? Is it too loud?”

Even at his own wedding, Tony’s looking out for him. That’s the kind of thing that Peter will miss, after. 

“I’m good.” Peter rests his head back on the table. He knows it’s a bratty, but he wants Tony to leave—to go back to enjoying his wedding, celebrate the beginning of the next chapter of his life. “Just tired.”

“Enough of that,” Tony says. “What’s up? Seriously, what’s wrong? I get that it’s a special day for me, but I’d actually prefer to know if someone is—I don’t know, dying? Is the world in peril? What’s going on?”

“Oh, no, no,” Peter says quickly. “Nothing like that.”

“Then, what?”

“Er—”

“Spit it out.”

Peter doesn’t know how to explain it. He runs his hands over the damn tie. It’s definitely too long. He can’t stop thinking about it.

“Does my tie look weird?”

Tony’s eyebrows crease together. He searches Peter’s face before shifting down to the tie.

“No. It looks great. Just the right color. Because I picked it out.”

“Thanks—thanks for buying it, and the suit, and the  _ suit.  _ Thanks for everything, Mr. Stark.” Peter pours everything he has into the words, trying to make them as sincere and meaningful as Tony deserves to hear, to make up for his behavior today and to last the rest of his life.

Tony blinks and then looks at Peter. His eyes are slightly squinted, like he’s trying to work out some great mystery, taking apart pieces of Peter and then putting them together in his mind. It feels like he’s under a microscope. He twitches, just barely stopping his hands from messing with the tie again.

“Okay.” Tony draws out the end of the word. “Want to clue me in on why you’re acting like this is a goodbye?”

“It’s not a  _ goodbye.” _

“Then what is it?”

Peter doesn’t really know what it is. All he knows is that it’ll be different after today. There’s no way to go back, and it’s selfish for Peter to want to.

“I’m imagining worst-case-scenarios here, buddy. Does a super-villain have something on you? Please tell me that you’re not in trouble.”

“No, I’m  _ fine _ .”

“Yeah, okay, that’s why you’re moping in the corner. Lay it on me, whatever it is, I’ve been told I’m a good listener.”

The words surprise a laugh out of Peter. “No you haven’t.”

Tony’s cheek twitches—a little tell Peter has picked up on that means he’s pleased to have made Peter laugh. “No I haven’t, but that doesn’t change the fact that I can be, if I try.”

AC/DC swells from the speakers, followed by a few drunken cheers. 

“Tones, get out here,” Rhodey yells. “It’s your song!”

Tony waves and holds up a finger before turning back to Peter, one eyebrow arched.

“You should go,” Peter tries.

“Not until you tell me what’s wrong. And you might want to hurry, because if you take too long you’ll have to deal with that.” Tony sticks a thumb over his shoulder towards Rhodey, who’s watching them with an intensity that’s vaguely terrifying.

“I just—I get it, you know? You’re married now, and the baby’s on the way.” Peter shrugs. “You’ll have a family and stuff. So, I understand that.“

Tony steeples his fingers in front of his mouth, narrowing his eyes until they’re slits. “You understand—what exactly?”

Peter sighs. Tony’s really going to make him spell it out. He looks down at the table, loosens his tie a bit.

“I know that you won’t have much time to spend with me anymore. Your family will take priority and I get that, Mr. Stark, I really do. I’m sorry that I’m being so annoying at your wedding. You should really go dance with Colonel Rhodes.”

Tony’s face is completely blank by the end of Peter’s mini speech. He sniffs and lays his hands flat on the table.

“You know, I already had a family, before today. Rhodey and Hap. These so-called heroes who won’t stop draining my resources. Pep and I—the piece of paper and the party, that’s all just for show.” Tony’s eyes flick up from the table. “And you’re right, my family does take priority. I consider you a part of it.”

Peter swallows. It’s everything he wants to hear, but he knows that Tony is just saying it out of some misplaced sense of obligation.

“You don’t have to say that. It’s okay. I understand that you don’t need a—um—son or whatever.”

The blank expression melts into surprise and then comprehension, like something has finally clicked. Tony shakes his head.

“Oh, Pete. You’re so smart, I forget how much of an idiot you can be sometimes.” Peter opens his mouth to protest, but Tony keeps talking. “I don’t need a son because I already have one.”

Peter mulls over the words a few times in his mind. “Harley?”

“Jesus Christ. Are you messing with me right now?” Tony smacks his forehead with his hand. “I’m talking about  _ you _ . Harley, too, I guess I’ve picked up more than one along the way. But the point is, when I said that before, in the lab, I was talking about you.”

The thing is, Peter doesn’t usually get lucky. Of course, he’s not the most unfortunate soul in the world, but he’s used to things going wrong. As soon as he feels comfortable, or like everything is finally moving in the right direction, it always swings back the other way. Today was supposed to be the turning point, the pendulum of his life was at the top of its arc, and gravity was about to pull him in the other direction. Tony’s words are too good to be true, they don’t fit the pattern. Peter doesn’t know how to deal with that.

“Oh,” he whispers.

Tony sniffs again, runs a hand through his hair. “I mean, if that’s not overstepping.”

Peter feels overwhelmed, throat choked up, mind swirling as he reevaluates everything he’d been thinking since the day in the lab.

“You really mean it?” Peter’s spent his life losing people. He doesn’t want that to happen again.

Tony’s face softens, little crinkles forming by his eyes as he smiles. “Of course, kiddo, I’ll always have a place in my life for you.”

Peter coughs and swipes at his eyes before nodding.

“No more crying at my wedding. That’s a rule. There was already too much of that at the ceremony.” Tony glances over his shoulder at the dance floor. “Now come on, let’s go dance with Rhodey before he has a conniption fit.”

Sure enough, the man in question has his arms crossed now, the thinly veiled annoyance contorting his face has escalated to open irritation. 

Tony stands and drags Peter up from his seat as well. They reach Rhodey just as the song hits its final verse.

“Took you long enough,” he says, deadpan.   
“Cheer up, sourpuss.” 

It feels like everyone in the room converges upon them. May’s behind Peter, resting her chin on his shoulder. Pepper reaches Tony’s side, and he dips her and kisses her slowly, prompting whoops from some of the guests around them. When he finally pulls her back upright, she swats at him in faux-annoyance, but her smile is wider than Peter’s ever seen it.

“Hi.” A voice draws Peter’s attention and he tears his eyes away from Tony and Pepper. “I’m Harley.”

The boy is holding out his hand. Peter shakes it. “Peter.”

“Yeah, I know that.” Harley nods at Tony. “He wouldn’t shut up about you, earlier.”

Peter can see Tony grinning at the two of them over Harley’s shoulder. He gestures toward them and cups a hand around Pepper’s ear. With all the chaos in the room, it’s hard for even Peter to pick up the words clearly, but he swears that Tony says ‘my boys’. Tony places a hand on Pepper’s stomach, and this time, Peter’s quite confident that he whispers ‘and my baby’. 

Peter might have been wrong about a lot of things leading up to the wedding, but one holds true. Everything has changed—Peter has a bigger family than he thought he did, and it’s about to get even bigger. 

Harley grabs Peter’s arm and drags him off the dance floor to find his phone so that he can show Peter a video of the latest contraption he built. The kid’s pretty cool. Peter’s going to have some competition in the best-older-brother category.

But, he’s confident that he can win Baby Stark over.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading :))
> 
> Find me on [tumblr!](https://peterparkrr.tumblr.com)  
> 


End file.
